GEELONG United’s Youth League Girls have made the jump into the Championship Division for 2026 after an impressive season last year, and are ready for the challenge.<\/p>\n
United finished second in Division One in 2025, which earned them the promotion to the top Big V competition.<\/p>\n
In their opening clash of the season at the weekend, they went down to Nunawading by 16 points but impressed in patches across\u00a0the match.<\/p>\n
United coach and athlete development manager Simon Nicholson said the group were proud to be the first to move into the Championship Division since the club formed.<\/p>\n
“Obviously, it’s a massive tick in the box for us, and it’s something we’ve been trying to achieve for the last three years,” he said.<\/p>\n
“We’re really excited to be able to get into Youth Champs, and then see if we can make some noise and keep on developing the group as we work through their development, and get them being successful at both Youth League and an NBL1 level.”<\/p>\n
The 2026 squad boasts strong local talent, with all but two players having featured as a junior in Geelong. Seven of the 13-girl squad are also on United’s NBL1\u00a0South roster.<\/p>\n
“Between me and Megan [Moody, NBL1 head coach] being involved with NBL1, we made a really big effort to have that connection piece between our two squads,” Nicholson, who is also the interim coach for the Youth League Girls team, said.<\/p>\n
“We’ve only got two players on our Youth League roster that haven’t played juniors for Geelong, which I think is a massive thing. We want to try and have as much local talent in the team as we can.<\/p>\n
“I think it speaks volumes for where we’re at as a club with our overall development.”<\/p>\n
Young guns such as Aleks Connolly, Poppy Stevens and Grace Spehar all return for the season, while Macey Bowie returns from an ACL injury that ruled her out of all of 2025.<\/p>\n
Nicholson said new recruits Ameir Majur and Elle Price would bring much-needed experience having featured in the Championship Division last season.<\/p>\n
He said good results were a bonus but he had emphasised having fun with the group throughout\u00a0the season.<\/p>\n
“It’s going to be a really interesting start to the season, just given I’m in an interim role,” he said.<\/p>\n
“For me, it’s just about us finding our feet, playing the right way in terms of how we want to play across our whole entire women’s program.<\/p>\n
“But the major thing for me is to make sure we have fun. That’s my big message to the girls and that’s why we all get involved in the sport.<\/p>\n
“Making sure we’re having fun as a group and celebrating each other’s success and then playing the right way, regardless of what the scoreboard dictates at the end of\u00a0the game.”<\/p>\n
United will host McKinnon at the Geelong Arena tomorrow (Saturday 21 March) at 5pm, before heading away to take on Sandringham this Sunday, 22 March.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
GEELONG United’s Youth League Girls have made the jump into the Championship Division for 2026 after an impressive season last year, and are ready for the challenge. United finished second in Division One in 2025, which earned them the promotion to the top Big V competition. In their opening clash of the season at the […]<\/p>\n